I’m Amanda Becker, The 19th’s Washington correspondent. I like to use my perch to examine the gendered aspects of power and how gender shapes policy. Since policy isn’t made in a vacuum, my favorite type of political stories draw across institutions and movements to examine what I call the “connective tissues” of our democracy.
I’ve been on the beat for nearly two decades, covering the White House, the Supreme Court, Congress, multiple presidential elections, and scores of House and Senate campaigns. Before joining The 19th in April 2020, I spent nearly eight years at Reuters, where I was embedded with Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, and several before that at CQ Roll Call, where I covered lobbying and influence.
I was a 2023 fellow at the Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard University. My first book, “You Must Stand Up: The Fight for Abortion Rights in Post-Dobbs America,” was published by Bloomsbury in September 2024. My byline has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times and USA Today, among other publications.
I grew up in Ohio and perpetually long for Cincinnati-style chili. I received a bachelor’s degree in political science with honors from Indiana University and a master’s degree in journalism from the University of Southern California.
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